


Storytime

by TheWordsInMyHead



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Humor, Madi Ships it, Monty ships it, Murphy Ships It even though he doesn't want to admit it, Octavia Blake Ships It, POV John Murphy (The 100), basically everyone ships it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:40:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25054042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWordsInMyHead/pseuds/TheWordsInMyHead
Summary: Looking to escape loud celebrations, Murphy stumbles upon Madi, Jordan and Hope comparing the stories they all grew up listening to and can’t resist correcting them. Especially, when it comes to Bellamy and Clarke.
Relationships: Bellamy Blake/Clarke Griffin
Comments: 4
Kudos: 141





	Storytime

_Fucking crowds,_ Murphy thinks, pushing past another person who he definitely hasn’t ever seen, let alone talked to. Where did all these fucking people come from? Wasn’t Clarke just going on about needing to preserve the last of the human race? Well, it looks like there’s more than enough to him. In fact, they could definitely stand to lose a few. Staring with that man who won’t stop screaming. Jesus fucking Christ. He might have chosen to stay dead if it would have spared him from this. 

There is absolutely no reason why two people who haven’t interacted before should be this close. He doesn’t care that it’s a celebration; surviving another threat is not an excuse to grope random people. Damnit, he needs a drink. Another drink. Why did he let them convince him to come to this stupid unity pep rally in the first place? He doesn’t have any pep and they all know that. 

Someone pats him on the back and he whips around to tell them to keep their fucking hands to themselves, but when he looks there is no one there. Whoever it was, has already been sucked back into the mob of moving bodies. Why the hell does anyone think this is enjoyable? 

There’s a cheer and then he is pushed forward by another random person. God, he hates people. Or at least most people. There are a select few who he’ll keep, but even they sometimes reach unbearable levels like when they make him come to group celebrations. It will be fun Murphy. What a bunch of bullshit. Just a few more steps and then he’ll be free; his favorite stool in the blissfully quiet and empty bar ready to welcome him home. 

He opens the door and there’s one brief second where he doesn’t feel like scratching his eyes out. Then he hears them, eager little voices happily chatting away. Fuck, he misses war. At least then people were quiet. He’s a few seconds off from a reemergence of dropship days Murphy when he registers the familiarity of their voices. 

Looking around the entryway, Murphy spots Jordan, Madi, and Hope sitting around one of the tables with a bottle in front of them. Well, well, well, Murphy thinks with a smirk, Bellamy and Clarke really need to keep a better eye on their kids. He’s almost impressed by their rebellion, but then Madi let’s out a giggle so insanely high pitched it shouldn’t be possible and he feels like banging his head through a wall. Again.

As it is, all he does is rest his head against the wooden pillar hiding him from sight and pray that some kind of disaster hits to chase them away sooner rather than later. He briefly contemplates the merits of starting a fire, just a small one to smoke them out, and then dismisses it. Knowing who their parents are, these kids are probably more likely to run towards a fire than away from it. Fucking idiots. Why are they so concerned with saving humanity again? 

“I can’t believe you got to grow up with Octavia. That must have been so cool!” he hears Madi gush and he rolls his eyes. Yeah so cool, bloodshed and murder with 5 tasty tips on how to cook human flesh. “Hers was always my favorite story. The girl under the floor who became a Queen.” 

He watches Hope shrug from his vantage point by the door, “She was just my Auntie O. We planted vegetables and stuff. My mom didn’t let us do anything exciting like you're thinking. She didn’t want me learning to fight.” 

“No Clarke doesn’t like me fighting either... she must have told you stories though right? Clarke always told me how Bellamy would tell Octavia stories when she wasn’t allowed to leave their tiny home.” 

“Yeah,” Jordan agrees, “Octavia’s story always started with Bellamy looking after her. At least that’s how I was told it.” 

Madi laughs, a loud and carefree sound that doesn’t sound right coming out of anyone living in this world now; it’s far too happy. “Yeah I loved Octavia’s story because she was a badass who grew up all alone, but I’m pretty sure the only reason she was willing to tell it to me as often as she did was that there was so much Bellamy in it.” 

Smirking, Murphy reevaluates the young warrior; she’s smarter than he would have thought or at least not as delusional as her parents. Maybe there’s hope for her yet. 

Hope snorts, “yeah that makes sense. O always did say that Bellamy was Clarke’s favorite. Now that’s someone exciting to grow up with. How can you think me having Octavia is exciting when your Mom is Wanheda!” 

Madi makes a face, her nose scrunches up and her mouth turns down into a pout in a way that looks exactly like Clarke when something she’s annoyed with him. So basically all the time. “She doesn’t like being called that.” 

“Wait,” Jordan says, looking between the two girls, “what’s a Wanheda?” 

“Not a what, who: Clarke," Hope explains, rolling her eyes, "Wanheda was the one who defeated the mountain and set her people free.”

Comprehension comes into Jordan’s eyes, “Oh! My parents always just used her name, but I know the story. The 100 were all being held captive so Bellamy and Clarke infiltrated Mount Weather and rescued them.” 

“She doesn’t like being called that,” Madi repeats, a hard glimmer in her eye which is also all Clarke. “It means bringer of death and the grounders used it when they were hunting her down to try and make people afraid of her.” 

There's an awkward beat of silence and Murphy thinks that maybe they will finally clear out, leave him and his barstool in peace, but then Jordan breaks it with a grin. “I know that story too. It’s Bellamy and Clarke again. She was being hunted so they set out on a rescue mission. For a while everything seemed hopeless, they didn’t know where to look and then once they did, she was separated from them by a huge army.” 

“The one when he dressed up in a disguise and walked through the army to find her, but was too slow? Her captor comes back before Bellamy’s managed free her and so she has to beg for his life, trading her cooperation in exchange for his freedom?” Madi asks, her eyes alight with wonder like this was some heroic quest and not just another case of Bellamy being an idiot for Clarke and Clarke turning around and being even more stupid for him. 

“Yes!” Jordan responds with the same level of excitement, “but I didn’t know that’s what happened while he was gone. My dad always picked the story back up when they found Bellamy again, blood dripping down his leg yet still determined to keep going after Clarke.”

“He did find her, right?” Hope asks. Her expression turns a little bitter and Murphy knows what’s coming next. “Then she didn’t come back with him so he lost his mind; went on a killing spree because some leader told him that it was a good idea.” 

“That wasn’t because of Clarke,” Madi defends her, crossing her arms stubbornly, but there’s an air of hesitance to the move. “It was because he was scared and upset.” 

Hope grins at Madi, “Yeah because of Clarke. She wasn’t around to talk him down.” 

“The head and the heart,” Jordan remarks, and Murphy actually audibly groans. Apparently, that little catchphrase of theirs is going to stick around for another generation. Great. If only they had come up with something a little less gag-worthy. “They balance each other out. Dad said that everything was always better when they were together.” 

“Octavia too.” 

The two of them turn to look at Madi expectantly who eventually stops glaring. “Yeah, Clarke too. She said that she never would have been able to defeat Alie if she didn’t have Bellamy by her side.” 

“Exactly!” Hope says triumphally, “there’s no way they would have been able to save anyone alone. Clarke had to fight the battle in the City of Light while Bellamy kept the chipped people away. It was the two of them together who saved the day.” 

Murphy looks at the group of him, narrowing his eyes. What the hell kind of bullshit is this? 

“It wasn’t just them,” Jordan reminds them, instantly becoming his favorite, “there was Raven too. Without Raven helping Clarke in the City of Light, she might have not made it in time.” 

“That’s true. The moment Raven’s symbol appeared, showing the way, was always an important part of Clarke’s version of the story.” 

What the fuck? Scowling, Murphy walks out of his hiding space towards their table. “Is that really what they told you? They left out the best part.” 

“Uncle Murphy!” Jordan yells in excitement, standing up from his seat and knocking his cup over in the process. 

The scowl across Murphy’s face deepens. “Kid, you are two years older than me, I’m not your uncle.” 

“Come on, you’re old,” Madi tells him smirking, “besides, I’m still my right age. You can’t get out of being my uncle.” 

“I am no one’s uncle.” 

“Physical ages don’t matter anymore,” Hope says like he didn’t speak. “I’m pretty much the same age as Octavia now, but I’m not going to stop calling her Auntie O.” 

Tuning them and their debate on the merits of physical age over presumed relationships out, Murphy makes a beeline for the still mostly full bottle in the center of the table. He fills a glass and shoots it down; then does it again. By the third, their cheerful voices don’t sound nearly as high pitch and he doesn’t feel like punching anyone anymore. He falls into the remaining seat. Better here than out there. 

“Does this mean you’re staying?” Jordan asks, trying not to sound over-eager and failing. He really is like his namesake and not the fun Jasper who didn’t give a fuck, the one who he routinely wanted to smother. 

Taking another shot, Murphy surveys the group around him, “First off, let's get something clear. Bellamy didn’t do shit that day—” 

“He saved the day!” Madi interjects. 

“Sure, if all he needed to do was hold her hand to save the day,” Murphy deadpans. Indignation lines Jordan’s face, but Murphy cuts him off before he can start with the denials. “Quiet, Uncle Murphy is telling a story. The really exciting moment that day was when I had to stick my hand into Ontari’s chest and perform CPR on her heart to keep the transfusion going.” 

Hope shares a look with her companions before turning back Murphy, “That sounds made up.” 

“You’re kidding me, right?” Murphy asks in outrage. He turns to Madi, “Clarke is a fucking doctor, she never mentioned me having to hand pump a human heart to keep her ungrateful ass alive?” 

“She said something about a transfusion,” Madi says slowly, her brow wrinkling in confusion as she tries to remember. 

Murphy just stares at them in astonishment. For fuck’s sake, he's had one heroic moment in his entire life and these kids don’t even believe him. 

“Okay, but even if that happened,” Hope starts, “you still did the exact same thing that Bellamy did; keep Clarke alive.” 

“If I didn’t do what I did, Clarke and everyone else is dead. Without Bellamy there, Clarke is sad for a few hours,” Murphy explains slowly, looking at them all before letting out a scoff, disgusted with them and with himself. “This isn’t even the point; Bellamy didn’t actually do anything spectacular here. Your stories are all a lie.” 

“No!” Madi exclaims like he just told her that her world was a lie which really, he kind of did. Oops. Oh well. “Clarke said that Alie wanted him and he should have just stayed away to keep himself safe, but he showed up anyway.” 

“Okay, I’ll give you that,” Murphy relents after a moment, “Bellamy likes to run into danger where Clarke is concerned. The same goes for Clarke, but it’s not heroic. It's stupid. The amount of damage they have done trying to protect each other puts every other ‘villain’ to shame.” 

Surprisingly, it’s Jordan who objects, “That’s not true!” 

“Are you sure?” Murphy asks with a smirk, “The bunker? The human race was nearly destroyed because Clarke couldn't tell Bellamy no.” 

“That doesn’t work,” Hope responds with her own smirk, “Octavia wasn’t in the bunker then, nor were a bunch of people. If she hadn't let him open it then they would have all died.” 

Murphy doesn’t really think that would have been all that terrible, the ones who ended up in the bunker didn’t seem all that competent, but he doesn’t bother saying it. He doesn’t even need to imagine the outrage he’d get, he’s experienced it from each of their adults at one point or another. 

Instead, he focuses on the discussion at hand. Leaning his elbows on the table, he prepares to destroy their assumptions about Bellamy and Clarke. “Okay, before that then. Picture this, the enemy piled into a gorge, the least offensively viable place ever, just ask your Auntie O, and yet somehow we end up at a disadvantage. Why do you ask? Because you put a gun to Bellamy Blake’s head and Clarke loses all common sense.” 

“That’s not what happened,” Madi says stubbornly. 

“Are you sure?” Murphy with a glint in his eye. He doubts that any of them actually know that story. The only one who would have been able to tell it first hand was Clarke and there’s no way she would have. She likes to try and make it seem like she’s not totally and completely in love with Bellamy. Hell, the only reason that he knows it is from nights on the Ring with Echo before Bellamy pulled himself back together. 

“So what?” Madi retorts, pushing a piece of hair off her face, “she wanted to protect Bellamy. That’s not a bad thing.” 

“Yeah they look after each other,” Jordan says, nodding his head in agreement. 

“They fight for each other,” Hope adds on, and just like that they are all back to looking at him with superior grins on their faces. Fucking kids, why is he here again? Oh right, fucking crowds. 

“Fine believe whatever overly idyllic version of events your parents brainwashed you into believing, but don’t complain that I didn’t try to tell you the truth,” Murphy says, throwing his hands up in the air. 

“But don’t you think it’s kind of nice how they always show up for each other?” Jordan asks, reminding Murphy that while he might be physically older, it hasn’t been that long since he started interacting with anyone other than Monty and Harper. Unlike Madi and Hope, he still holds an air of naïveté to him. That innocence has to die at some point though, might as well be now. 

“No. It’s a bunch of bullshit,” Murphy says with a scowl. 

“Yes you do,” Madi responds dismissively. “Even if you weren’t like Bellamy or Clarke, you always came through at the end with the way Clarke told it.” 

“Oh am I finally part of the fucking stories.” 

“Yeah I bet that you were part of more than one group _together_ ,” Hope tells him with a smirk. 

“I most certainly wasn’t,” Murphy remarks affronted, but it’s once again like no one can hear him. 

“When did Clarke and Bellamy’s together start,” Hope asks, looking at the other two, “at Mount Weather?” 

“I think so right?” Madi says looking at Jordan, “when they pulled the lever?” 

Jordan nods, “yeah I always loved that moment; the two of them coming to getting to save their people. It was beautiful.” 

“Yeah so beautiful,” Murphy says sarcastically, “burning flesh, silent screams… the things fairytales and dreams are made of." 

Three pairs of eyes turn to him in horror. Madi is the one that finally manages to speak, “what do you mean?” 

“Of course they would all leave that bit out,” Murphy mutters in exasperation, “after all genocide doesn’t make a great bedtime story does it.” 

“Genocide?” Jordan questions hesitantly. 

“Yes. Honestly, what did you all think pulling the lever did? Magically turned them into dust? I wasn’t there, but I hear it was more like goo.” 

There’s a gasp and then another. Murphy looks up and realizes that’s maybe blunt honestly wasn’t the best move. Not wanting to deal with the emotional fallout of them learning their heroes are someone else’s villains, Murphy quickly changes the subject. “And it wasn’t Mount Weather, they were going on about together back during the dropship days.” 

That one still stings, he thinks bitterly. He’s pretty sure their first together was the decision to banish him. He keeps it to himself, though. God knows what these kids would say to a comment like that. 

Hope is the first one to recover which makes sense; her parental figure wasn’t just outed as a mass-murder. That’s a whole different story. "That makes sense. Auntie O always said Bellamy was as good as gone for Clarke from the moment she first told him no." 

Murphy snorts, amazed by how right and wrong that statement is. “Yeah, I wouldn’t count on that. Right after she told him no, Bellamy declared that he would cut off her hand to get the wristband if he had to.” 

“And then he saved her,” Madi cuts in, coming back to herself, “Which do you think was more accurate?" 

“He should have just let her fall,” Murphy mutters, ignoring Madi’s question, 

The three of them scowl at him with matching looks of disapproval and he just sighs. He tries to picture a reality where Bellamy would have and he can’t. Or at least, he doesn’t want to. A world where there isn’t a Clarke to Bellamy and Clarke would be worse than what they’ve got and that’s truly saying something. 

“There’s no way he would have dropped her,” Hope says with way too much confidence since they are talking about something that happened 150 years before she was born.

“No, probably not,” Murphy relents before continuing with a smirk, “but that doesn’t change the fact that my life would have been a hell of a lot easier back then if he had. A lot of people’s lives would have been easier, just ask your Auntie O.” 

“She forgave him for that,” Hope snaps back at him, making his grin grow. “She understood why he needed to do it, not just for Clarke, but for everyone.” 

“I’m sure that’s what she told you,” Murphy responds, condescendingly.

“Wait!” Jordan exclaims, looking between the two of them, “are we talking about the story where Octavia is holding Clarke captive and so Bellamy puts her to sleep using Dad’s algae? I loved that one!” 

“Yeah me too!” Hope answers, “It was one of the only stories O was actually in. What about you Madi, did Clarke tell that story?” 

“Guys, I was there for that,” Madi points out in amusement. 

Jordan tilts his head to the side, “Oh right, that’s weird.” 

“No, you know what’s weird. I grew up on stories of Madi at this age, I spent years hoping that she’d show up with Bellamy and Clarke so I’d have someone to play with. Now she’s here, but I’m almost twice her age.” 

“Yes, yes, yes,” Murphy remarks, “it’s all very fucked up, we’ve been over this. He didn’t do it for everyone, he did it for Clarke.” 

“No,” Jordan tells him, stubbornly. 

“Yes.” 

“No,” Hope repeats, looking at him from across the table with a glint in her eye. For fuck’s sakes, who raised these kids, all they do is argue. “Octavia had lost her way; she was leading everyone down a dangerous path and he was trying to stop her before people got hurt.” 

“Yes, it was for Clarke. Octavia wasn't just holding her captive; she was going to kill her and there was no way Bellamy was going to let that happen because again, he’s stupid when it comes to her.” They don’t look like they believe him so he turns to Madi, “tell them, kid.” 

She tilts her head to the side and he has the distinct impression that he’s not going to like what comes out of her mouth. “He never _said_ that it was for her.” 

"Haven't you learned anything?” Murphy asks in exasperation, “With Bellamy and Clarke, it's always about what they _don't_ say." 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Hope asks while Madi shots him a confused glance. 

"Actions speak louder than words,” Jordan explains like it’s the simplest thing in the world. 

“I’m sorry,” Murphy says looking at him. 

Jordan looks bewildered, “What for?” 

“That for 26 years, Monty and Harper were your only company. That must have been hell.” 

For a second, it seems like all three of them are going to start yelling at him at once, but they are distracted by the sound of the door opening. Clarke rounds the corner, a bright flush to her cheeks followed closely by Bellamy. 

“Madi,” Clarke says, stopping in surprise when she spots them. Bellamy starts to pull his hand away, but Clarke holds tight. Guess the celebration was good for something, Murphy thinks, smirking. “I thought you went home?” 

“I was going to and then I ran into Jordan...” she slowly slides her mostly full glass closer to Murphy, the only one of them who isn’t the right age to be indulging, instantly drawing Clarke’s attention to the drink in question. Amateur. 

Fond amusement enters Clarke’s eyes making her seem younger than she even did back when he first met her. “Ah huh, what are you guys doing?” 

“Murphy has been telling us stories!” Jordan supplies helpfully, looking to Murphy to confirm his claim. 

For a second, he considers letting them sweat it out under Bellamy and Clarke’s inquisitive stares, but then he decides to take pity on them. He’s been there and it’s not a fun place to be. “Yes. I’ve been telling them how things actually happened.” 

“Murphy,” Clarke says threateningly. 

“Relax, I didn’t do anything. Although,” he says, sitting up in his chair straighter, “mind telling me why the hell I am missing from the City of Light story.” 

“What are you talking about—” Clarke starts to say but she’s cut off by the sound of giggles. They both turn to look at Madi simultaneously who has slapped a hand over her mouth to try and stop the noise from coming out. 

He looks to Jordan who seems to be seconds away from a laughing fit and then to Hope who has amusement written all over her face. “I’m in the fucking story, aren’t I?” 

Jordan loses his battle, falling out of his seat, and even Hope lets out a snort. Goddamn kids, who do they think they are? He scowls at them, hoping they see how very unamused he is, but all that seems to do is insight them more. Bellamy starts to laugh too. He should have left when he had the chance. Against his will, the corners of his mouth quirk up, but he quickly pushes them back down. 

“In the City of Light story?” Clarke questions. 

“Yes,” he grumbles to more laughter from the ungrateful kids. 

Clarke grins like she finally gets the joke, “Of course you are, you are Madi’s favorite part.” 

“Of course, it is.” Murphy responds with his own laugh, “I’m fucking fantastic. It was clearly the best part.” 

“You should not have told him that,” Bellamy groans, letting his head fall against Clarke’s shoulder. His eyes follow Clarke’s fingers as they run comfortingly through his hair. 

Murphy looks between them standing so close together and then up the stairs to where a bunch of bedrooms stand empty. “You know, if you have somewhere you two would rather be, we are good here. I wouldn’t want to stop for from finally—” 

“Murphy,” Bellamy growls. 

He raises his hands placatingly, “I was going to say anything!” 

Bellamy looks like he’s going to argue the point, but then Jordan tries to get off the ground and stumbles, diverting his attention. “Are you all right?” 

“Yes,” Jordan says even as he stumbles and then laughs, “yes. I think it’s just time for me to go to bed. Luckily, I only need to get up the stairs.” 

“Do you need help?” Bellamy asks like the overly anxious parent he is, already moving to help, but Jordan waves him off. Once he makes it up the stairs, Bellamy lets out a sigh of relief and Murphy just looks at him, praying that he never ends up to the place where fucking stairs are a genuine worry. 

“I’m going to head out too,” Hope says, standing up, “Auntie O is probably looking for me.” 

Bellamy shakes his head like it’s still strange to hear his baby sister referred to as an aunt and then nods, “yeah she was.” 

“We should probably go too,” Clarke says, looking at Madi and then doing the weird silent commuting thing with Bellamy, “we’ll see you guys later.” 

Murphy rolls his eyes, hard, in plain view of both Bellamy and Clarke. So much for fucking progress. 

“Bellamy can come too,” Madi says casually, but Murphy can see the smirk across her lips from his position. She meets his eyes; he raises an eyebrow and her smirk grows. “It’s probably easier than sneaking him in after I go to sleep.” 

Bellamy makes a choking noise, Clarke sputters and Murphy contemplates high-fiving the girl in front of him. 

“I wasn’t going to—” Bellamy starts and then stops at the disbelieving look on Madi’s face. 

Clarke looks from Madi to Bellamy, biting her lip. “Are you okay with that?” 

“Seems like about time to me. Really, probably way past time, but who’s counting,” she looks back at Murphy, rolling her eyes at the couple stunned behind her and then starts walking towards the door, “Come on now.” 

Shaking her head at her daughter's antics, Clarke grabs Bellamy’s hand again and starts making her way towards the door. 

“Night,” Bellamy calls out to Murphy over his shoulder. 

“Have fun,” Murphy calls back, laughing to himself when the last thing he sees of their retreading figures is Bellamy flipping him off. 

Looking around, Murphy feels a strange sense of peace. It isn’t totally comfortable and the mob of people outside yelling can still go fuck themselves, but he wouldn’t be totally unhappy with the chance to tell some stories for himself. After all, he’s sure he’d tell them better.


End file.
